Domestic boiler



NOV 25, 1941- J. E. J. TONER A 2,264,226 DOMESTIC BOILER n Filed July 27, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /0///// D 'I si l d y". N Jzmes'TJIELz-cez Nov, 25, 1941. J, E TONER 2,264,226

DOMESTIC BOILER Filed July 27, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet@ Nov. 25, 1941.

J. E. J. TONER DOMESTIC BOILER Filed July 27, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 25, 1941 E STATES OFFICE noMEsrrc Bomen Application July 27, 1940, Serial No. 348,035

3 Claims.

This invention relates to furnaces and, more particularly, to structures of the type illustrated in the patent to Saha, No. 2,097,255, granted October 26, 1937, for Method of and apparatus for burning fluid fuel." In such a furnace, air is introduced to a tubular combustion chamber in such fashion that it forms a free spiral vortex therein as it passes therethrough and fuel is admitted substantially at the core of this vortex, combustion thus taking place at the inner periphery of the tube.

In commercial production of a furnace of the character shown in said patent, it has been found that maximum eiiiciency may only be obtained through certain modifications of the structure enabling all of the fuel to be burned within the combustion chamber. It has also been found, since the wall of the combustion chamber is Water cooled and the burning of the fuel takes place immediately against this wall, that it is necessary to partially insulate the fiame from the wall until the combustion has been completed, and an important object of the invention is the modification of the structure of the patent to provide for complete combustion and to attain such complete combustion within a relatively short space.

Dimculty has been met with in providing such a baille due to the fact that the baille must be maintained in such slightly spaced relation to the Wall of the tube that it will be in heat exchange therewith and at the same time must be supported so that it will not warp or buckle in operation since such buckling will place portions of the liner in positions where they will not be protected by the heat transfer to the wall of the tube and will, accordingly, be rapidly destroyed. A further object of the invention is the production of a batlie so constructed that it will constantly maintain proper spacing with relation to the wall of the tube.

In the commercial type of construction, the combustion tube is surrounded by an annular series of re tubes through which the combustion gases are returned to the stack and it has been found that the efiiciency of the boiler may be further increased if the swirling action which takes place in the combustion tube is extended to the fire tubes themselves. Accordingly, an important object of the invention is the provision of a simple and ecient means for providing a swirling action in the re tubes.

These and other objects I attain by the co struction shown in the accompanying drawings shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a boiler constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the liner employed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view therethrough taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a slightly modified construction of the boiler.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the boiler casing I0 comprises end heads II and I2 supporting an open-ended combustion tube I3 and a surrounding annular series of open-ended fire tubes I4. To one end of head II a ue connection I5 is secured, this ilue connection having sealing engagement with the projecting end of the combustion tube as at I6 and receiving the gases discharged from the fire tubes I4 and directing them to the stack outlet I1. This flue connection mounts a burner head I8 including the usual burner nozzle I9 and igniter mechanism 20 and means for introducing air adjacent said burner nozzle in a swirling fashion as described in the Patent' No. 2,097,255 above identified.

'Ihe opposite end head I2 detachably mounts a cleanout cover 2l which is interiorly lined with fire brick and has its inner face in slightly spaced. confronting relation to the ends of the, combustion tube I3 and fire tubes I4. Clamped between this cover and the head is an annulus 22 encompassing the annular series of re tubes I4 and composed of a plurality of connected open cycloidal coils 23, the openings of the coils occurring at the inner surface of the annulus and the smaller curvatures of the coils approximating the diameter of the tubes I4 the projecting ends of which they encompass. It will be obvious that swirling products of combustion leaving tube I3 and entering the space between the end of this tube and cover 2| will be centrifugally delivered to the cycloidal coils 23 and by these coils broken up into a series of smaller vortices which are delivered to the 'tubes I4. These products of combustion, after passing from the forward ends of tube I4, enter ue connection I5 and thus pass to the stack.

Arranged within the forward end of the com.- bustion tube and extending from such forward end rearwardly for a substantial portion of the length of the tube is a liner 24 which serves to wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have prevent the burning fuel mixture from coming proximately ,/8 inch diameter. These wires may be so distributed as to provide adequate support for the sheet and upon installation of the liner directly contact with the walls of the tube. Such a liner may expand in the tube without buckling due to the space provided between the edges of the sheet at 26 and will at all times maintain the proper spacing between its surface and that of 'the tube to insure suilicient heat exchange to prevent destructive heating of the sheet. By use of this liner, combustion within the tube may be completed before the products of combustion come into direct engagement with the walls of the tube.

It has also been found advantageous to employ a means for preventing the walls of the vortex, particularly adjacent the inlet end of the combustion tube, from becoming too thin; thus, in-

cidentally preventing too rapid movement of the burning fuel toward the fire tubes il. I, accordingly, provide within the combustion tube a bame 21 comprising a refractory ring fitting within tube I3 and having a tapered interior bore 28 the smaller end of which is arranged adjacent the fuel inlet end of the tube I3. 'I'he best position for such a baille varies with different lengths of combustion tube and different volumes of air delivered thereto but at all times should be well spaced from the fuel inlet end of the tube. In some instances, it is desirable to place this baille between the ends of the tube liner 24, in which event the liner is formed in two sections and in other instances the baille may be placed against the rear end of the liner, as suggested in Fig. 6. The smaller diameter of the inner opening of the baille is considerably less than the internal diameter of the liner and the bale here acts as a. dam increasing the effective depth of the vortex of burning fuel within the combustion tube in advance of the baffle. Being formed of refractory material, the bafe becomes incandescent and serves both to promote rapid combustion of the fuel and to transfer heat to the walls of the combustion tube and thus to the contents of the boiler casing.

By use of these features it has been found that the eiliciency of the boiler as originally proposed can be very materially increased and a very compact household unit results. While use of any of the three featuresabove outlined increases the efficiency of the boiler, their combined use is essential ii.' optimum emciency is to be obtained.

Since the construction is capable of considerable modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A boiler of the type wherein air is moved through a cylindrical tube in a free spiral vortex and fluid fuel is introduced into the core of the vortex, said boiler comprising a boiler casing, a cylindrical combustion tube directed through the casing, means at one end of the tube to introduce fuel and air, an annular series of fire tubes extending through the casing and surrounding the combustion tube in spaced relation thereto, an annulus arranged against the casing comprising a series of connected inwardly-open cycloidal loops each of which surrounds the rear end of one of the fire tubes, and a closure member abutting the rear face of said annulus.

2. A boiler of the type wherein air is moved through a cylindrical tube in a free spiral vortex and fluid fuel is introduced into the core of the vortex, said boiler comprising a boiler casing, a cylindrical combustion tube directed through the casing, means at one end of the tube to introduce fuel and air, and a liner for the tube extending from said end thereof for a considerable distance through the tube, said liner comprising a slotted cylinder of thin sheet metal, means maintaining said liner slightly spaced from the wall of the tube but in good heat-exchange relation thereto, an annular series of fire tubes extending through the casing and surrounding the combustion tube in spaced relation thereto, an annulus arranged against the casing comprising a series of connected inwardly-open cycloidal loops each of which surrounds the rear end of one of the fire tubes, and a. closure member abutting the rear face of said annulus.

3. A boiler of the type wherein air is moved through a cylindrical tube in a free spiral vortex and fluid fuel is` introduced into the core of the vortex, said boiler comprising a boiler casing, a cylindrical combustion tube directed through the casing, means at one end of the tube to introduce fuel and air, a baille disposed in said tube in spaced relation to said end thereof, said baille comprising a" ring of refractory material fitting within the tube, the internal opening of said ring being tapered and the smaller end thereof being disposed adjacent said end of the tube, an annular series of fire tubes extending through the casing and surrounding the combustion tube in spaced relation thereto, an annulus arranged against the casing comprising a series of connected inwardly-open cycloidal loops each of which surrounds the rear end of one of the ilre tubes, and a closure member abutting the rear face of said annulus.

JAMES E. J. TONER. 

